Clipper not so easy to use on cable cars

CITY INSIDER

Cable cars meet at the corner of Hyde and Lombard Streets on Thursday Sep. 9, 2009 in San Francisco, Calif.

Cable cars meet at the corner of Hyde and Lombard Streets on Thursday Sep. 9, 2009 in San Francisco, Calif.

Photo: Mike Kepka, The Chronicle

Photo: Mike Kepka, The Chronicle

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Cable cars meet at the corner of Hyde and Lombard Streets on Thursday Sep. 9, 2009 in San Francisco, Calif.

Cable cars meet at the corner of Hyde and Lombard Streets on Thursday Sep. 9, 2009 in San Francisco, Calif.

Photo: Mike Kepka, The Chronicle

Clipper not so easy to use on cable cars

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It's easy to forget that while San Francisco's rolling historical landmark - the cable cars - are a big tourist attraction, they're also a cog in the Muni network and are used daily by commuters, including those heeding Muni's advice to use Clipper, the regional transit smart card.

But the old and new worlds sometimes collide, and such is the case with Clipper and the cable cars. Some commuters trying to use Clipper have found the cable car crews either unable or unwilling to accept the card as payment.

Accepting Clipper is a bit more difficult on the cable cars. Because they lack a sufficient electrical supply, Muni can't just install a reader as on buses and Muni Metro cars. Operators need to use a handheld card scanner, and while they've been trained, some haven't taken to the new task. At least one commuter has gone so far as to learn how to use the device himself so he can help the operators. Still, he said, some don't want to, or can't, use the device.

Our commuter doesn't find that acceptable - and neither do Muni officials. Paul Rose, spokesman for the agency, said it is aware of the problem and is mounting a new training effort for all operators.

"We are going to get everyone retrained," he said, "Especially the cable car operators, who don't see the Clipper cards as often as the other operators."

This week's news

Monday: The Film Commission will meet in closed session to recommend to the mayor a candidate to become the organization's executive director.

Tuesday: The Board of Supervisors will meet to discuss the Hunters Point shipyard redevelopment plan.

Quote of the week

"I think this is my fifth groundbreaking. Unbelievable. We were just here with Sen. (Barbara) Boxer and twice with Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi, and I think we found some neighbors and did a groundbreaking on our own."